MSI Press Blog

  Carl's Cancer Compendium lists the top 15 cancer centers in the USA, as identified by the National Cancer Institute. Some interesting facts: Most, but not all, are associated with a state university or Ivy League university or equivalent Four of the 15 are located in California; if one is to get cancer, clearly there is a certain advantage to being a resident of California. No other state has more than one top-flight cancer center. Only 13 states, including California, have a top-flight cancer center (one center is in two states): California Illinois Maryland Massachusetts Minnesota New Jersey New York North Carolina Ohio Pennsylvania Texas Washington See Carl's Cancer Compendium for links to all of them. for more Cancer Diary posts, click HERE . For more posts on cancer in general, click HERE . Blog editor's note: As a memorial to Carl, and simply because it is truly needed, MSI  is now hosting a web page,  Carl's Cancer Compendium , as a one-stop starting point fo

  I have often not wanted to take medication for an injury -- I am pretty good at toughing things out. That has changed since I have learned about the connection between frequent/chronic inflammation and cancer. (The ability of anti-inflammatory medicines to prevent cancer is not known; they reduce inflammation, however, which is important.) Of course, inflammation is natural. It is part of how our body heals it itself. However, there are times when inflammation sets in and does not go away -- and that is the connection with cancer. Long-term inflammation can change DNA and result in cancer. Examples of long-term inflammation include ulcerative colitis and Corhn Disease. Either of these can lead to colon cancer. Here are some articles that are well worth reading. NIH National Cancer Institute  Risk Factors: Chronic Inflammation - NCI (cancer.gov) 8 foods that cause inflammation  8 Foods That Cause Inflammation – Entirely Health What is Pro-Tumor Inflammation and Its Role in Cancer? Ant

  May is Skin Cancer Awareness Month. That gains attention close to home. I just had stitches removed from skin cancer surgery (last week).  According to my surgeon, skin cancer can take the form of melanoma , basal cell carcinoma , or squamous cell carcinoma . Of the three, melanoma is more dangerous because it spreads easily and quickly. Squamous cell carcinoma and basal cell carcinoma can usually be excised.  Both my late husband and I have experienced squamous cell carcinoma. For him, it appeared like a little horn on his forehead. It was easily excised and left no scar. Mine was more insidious. An "age spot" appeared out of nowhere, then grew, then changed shape, then because pussy, bled, and itched. The Skin Institute did not believe it was cancerous, but I insisted on an early biopsy -- and I was right. When something appears to be very wrong, it usually is very wrong, and the patient is still his or her own best advocate. We were fortunate. With squamous cell carcinom

  What some people leave behind when they die can help so many others -- either making  medical care possible for them or making medical care better for them.  In the first category is a young mother (age 38) who died of ovarian cancer. Her name was Casey Ryan MacIntyre, and her dying wish was to wipe out the medical debts of other people. Through a memorial page on the  RIP Medica Debt page, she, with the help of her survivors, has already wiped out over 100 million dollars in debt of those who cannot afford medical care. (Donations are still being solicited -- until December, it appears -- if you would like to donate.) Newsweek tells the story HERE . In the second category are those who donate organs. For the most part, the process for doing that is easy to follow; hospitals have staff members who follow up on those who have indicated they wish to donate (e.g., on their driver licenses) or through those they leave behind and will often contact the latter whether or not there a wish

  When a dying loved one does not want to talk about the ramifications of dying is an issue I have been wanting to address for a time. it was a very difficult one for us. More than head-in-sand, it was a deliberate refusal by Carl, when he was dying, to become involved with completing really important paperwork, like advanced directives, will/family trust, power of attorney. It was as if he could avoid death by not talking about it. (Of course, to be fair in representing the situation, he found out from a fall, with no warning, that he had probably only days and weeks left to live. The local hospital said days; Stanford was more positive about taking steps to turn days into something longer.) Cancer Diary will address this topic again (and likely again). For today, though, I want to share Diane Hullet's Best Life, Best Death podcast interview with Barbara Karnes on these sticky end of life questions, from the point of view of hospice worker and family member. See related MSI Pres

  March is National Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month. Being aware of the dangers of colon cancer, how widespread it is, and how fairly easily it can be identified and treated at early states is important to everyone's long-term health because colorectal cancer can attack anyone. Here is a guide that can help: Guide to Colorectal Cancer Carl Leaver for whom the CCC is named and maintained died of cancer of unknown primary. How oncologist believed (no evidence when it comes to CUP) that the cancer started in the colon.  I, his wife and MSI Press LLC managing editor, was found cancerous polyps through a home colon cancer test, ordered because of an observed change in bowel behavior, that led to a much-earlier-than-planned follow-up colonoscopy (5 years instead of 7-10 years after the first colonoscopy that had yielded no concerns). That led to several siblings revealing the same state and that they were on short-term follow-up colonoscopy schedules. Carl blew off his scheduled colono

  Who would have thunk? There appears to be a link between skin cancer and acne. Well, every bit of forewarning helps -- especially in reminding all of us, not just those who suffer from acne, to wear sunscreen and not to lie around for hours tanning in the sun. If we weren't born with brown skin, well, that's life. Browning it in youth and risking skin cancer later is so not worth it! Take a look at the research HERE . It's not just the obvious skin cancer that acne might predict, it is also other kinds of cancers, like breast cancer, ovarian cancer, prostate cancer, and some lymphomas.  And to muddy the waters, it could be that the propensity for skin cancer could be the reason for the acne. Shades of Schroedinger's cat -- or the old dilemma:: chicken or egg? For other Cancer Diary posts, click  HERE . Blog editor's note: As a memorial to Carl, and simply because it is truly needed, MSI Press is now hosting a web page,  Carl's Cancer Compendium , as a one-stop

  New information from American Cancer Society shows that colon cancer is increasing in people under the age of 55.  Concerned: Here are the signs of colon cancer, but please be aware that sometimes no signs are seen before the cancer spreads to other organs and reaches Stage 4, or even before the situation turns into Cancer of Unknown Primary . For other Cancer Diary posts, click  HERE . Blog editor's note: As a memorial to Carl, and simply because it is truly needed, MSI Press is now hosting a web page,  Carl's Cancer Compendium , as a one-stop starting point for all things cancer, to make it easier for those with cancer to find answers to questions that can otherwise take hours to track down on the Internet and/or from professionals. The CCC is expanded and updated weekly. As part of this effort, each week, on Monday, this blog will carry an informative, cancer-related story -- and be open to guest posts:  Cancer Diary .   Sign up for the MSI Press LLC newsletter  here  or

  Cancer knows no pity and has no boundaries as to whom it will attack. (We do a little bit about genetic markers, but cancer does not limit itself just to those who are genetically marked.) The latest victim is Kirstie Alley, who has died of colon cancer. Information about her relatively secret struggle with cancer is available HERE . For more posts about colon cancer, click HERE . Read more about Cancer Diary posts  HERE . Check out colon cancer at  Carl's Cancer Compendium  (the cancers are listed alphabetically). Blog editor's note: As a memorial to Carl, and simply because it is truly needed, MSI Press is now hosting a web page,  Carl's Cancer Compendium , as a one-stop starting point for all things cancer, to make it easier for those with cancer to find answers to questions that can otherwise take hours to track down on the Internet and/or from professionals. The web page is in its infancy but expected to expand into robustness. To that end, it is expanded and updated

  Today's post is short -- just a link -- but it could be more important than much longer posts. I recently came across the National Comprehensive Cancer Network and its compendium of drugs. Like Carl's Cancer Compendium, this collection of searchable and readily available information is a goldmine that I wish I had had when Carl was dying from cancer. You can check out this rich complication of cancer drugs and information about them HERE .  See other posts on cancer drugs . See other   Cancer Diary   posts. Blog editor's note: As a memorial to  Carl Don Leaver , co-founder of MSI Press LLC, and simply because it is truly needed, MSI Press is now hosting a web page,  Carl's Cancer Compendium , as a one-stop starting point for all things cancer, to make it easier for those with cancer to find answers to questions that can otherwise take hours to track down on the Internet and/or from professionals. The web page is in its infancy but expected to expand into robustness.

Somehow, some way, it appears that animals know a lot more about death (and when it is coming) than we do.  When Murjan was approaching death , in fact, just the day before, he begged to go out on his leash for a walk. That cat always seemed to think he was actually a dog--and how he loved to go for walks! Saturday's walk was very different from his past walks, however. He kept exploring dark places, especially little cave-like areas, as if looking for a place to take a final rest. He never did that before. That spooked me a little because he seemed to be telling me that he was dying--and he was. He passed away within 24 hours of that walk. So, it should not have been surprising that when Carl was dying, he was surrounded by the cats who loved him. They spent all day and all night of that last 24 hours with him--under the footrest, on the footrest, and lying on him. They clearly knew. Check out MSI Press's books on cancer and related to cancer HERE . For more posts on Carl Leav